Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Neighbors fight cell tower proposal near Ashland Gov. Kitzhaber steps down, federal investigation begins Successor Kate Brown must run for election in 2016 Mt. Ashland offers shuttle service Sadness, relief greet Kitzhaber resignation locally Education Levy supporters kick off campaign Bowling for knowledge Sharing black culture It's alive! SOU students create thought-provoking art Environment Mt. Ashland Ski Area celebrates snow GMO opponents can join Jackson County in defending ban Grant will help restore 'legacy' oak habitat in Southern Oregon and Northern California Mt. Ashland Ski Area crew dips to five Mt. Ashland Ski Area announces layoffs Business Ride & Drive: 2015 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack Silvio Calabi: Range Rover Sport, the off-road GT Where do Ashland’s top chefs go to dine? Ride & Drive: The 2015 BMW M4 Silvio Calabi: Jeep’s Patriot earns respect Politics and elections Gov. Kitzhaber steps down, federal investigation begins Successor Kate Brown must run for election in 2016 Sadness, relief greet Kitzhaber resignation locally Gov. Kitzhaber announces resignation Read Gov. John Kitzhaber's statement on his resignation State News Gov. Kitzhaber announces resignation Read Gov. John Kitzhaber's statement on his resignation Legislative leaders join in call for Kitzhaber resignation (updated) Oregon secretary of state: Meeting with governor 'strange' Oregon's second in command abruptly returns from capital Nation - World Obituaries Arlene M. (Ryan) Mills Michael Wayne South Claire G. Craft Theodore F. "Ted" Carter James Fredrick Shareable This $1 million Mercedes is like an armored private jet for the road Sports Latest Stories Raiders perfect on senior day Millers smother Grizz on senior night Three questions facing the 2015 Oregon State baseball team Under SOU spotlight one last time Just following the rules High school Millers smother Grizz on senior night Crater girls, boys cruise to victory in Midwestern League blowouts Grizz boys' upset bid falls just short in loss to Churchill Layton picks Western Oregon Ashland girls go 6-1 in multi-team dual meet Southern Oregon University Raiders perfect on senior day Three questions facing the 2015 Oregon State baseball team Under SOU spotlight one last time Just following the rules Raiders sweep Hope Int., stay perfect Voices Latest Stories Letters to the Editor, Feb. 14 Workers need more power Landgren cartoon: Disneyland measles outbreak Matthew T. Mangino: The government has access to your emails Our View: Support schools — again Editorial Our View: Support schools — again Our View: Kitzhaber's Delilah? Our View: GMO ruling was correct Our View: The benefits are mutual Wolves in our woods Letters Letters to the Editor, Feb. 14 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 11 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 10 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 6 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 4 Guest opinions Guest Opinion: Legal poisons in our waters Chris Honoré: Public schools: separate, still unequal Guest Opinion: Why so anxious to tax marijuana? Herb Rothschild Jr.: A good day for peace Guest Opinion: A message to my health care colleagues Columns Workers need more power Guest Opinion: Legal poisons in our waters Jeffrey Gillespie: Mr. Netanyahu goes to Washington Editor's Notes: More local content in the Tidings Council Corner: Transforming Ashland for the future Revels Latest Stories 'Dames at Sea' opens at Oregon Cabaret Theatre Listings for Varsity Theatre and Ashland Street Cinemas Brett Dennen plays the old Ashland Armory Cotillard embarks on a journey of hope in 'Two Days, One Night' Best Bets: Feb. 12-19 Theater 'Dames at Sea' opens at Oregon Cabaret Theatre Looking inside yourself and finding a character is magic Classics, premiers highlight 2015 season for OSF Roy Orbison tribute hits high note Music Victor D. Infante: Just in time for Valentine’s Day, some favorite breakup songs The Farr Side: Smith dominates, Beck surprises at Grammys Frisell brings fine-tuned act to Armory The Farr Side: Trainor building a music niche A laid-back chat with Marilyn Manson Visual Art Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhibits by regional artists Movies Movie review: ‘Fifty Shades’ of boring Movie review: ‘Kingsman’ transcends spy-movie tribute status Listings for Varsity Theatre and Ashland Street Cinemas Cotillard embarks on a journey of hope in 'Two Days, One Night' Movie review: ‘Leviathan’ tells a whale of a human tale Food and Drink Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories David Murdock: Take a nice little walk Looking Up: The sky on Valentine's night Health Watch: The rise of wearable fitness tech Jimmy Smothers: Car trouble turns into a pleasant experience Marketta Gregory: We are loved Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs Business NEWS NOW Neighbors fight cell tower proposal near Ashland ... Ashland Calendar: Feb. 14 ... Workers need more power ... Neighbors fight cell tower proposal near Ashland ... Ashland Calendar: Feb. 14 ... Workers need more power ... Read Gov. John Kitzhaber's statement on his resignation Comment DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Feb. 13, 2015 @ 12:20 pm Updated Feb 13, 2015 at 12:23 PM Posted Feb. 13, 2015 @ 12:20 pm Updated Feb 13, 2015 at 12:23 PM » RELATED CONTENT • Gov. Kitzhaber announces resignation » Social News I am announcing today that I will resign as Governor of the State of Oregon. It is not in my nature to walk away from a job I have undertaken – it is to stand and fight for the cause. For that reason I apologize to all those people who gave of their faith, time, energy and resources to elect me to a fourth term last year and who have supported me over the past three decades. I promise you that I will continue to pursue our shared goals and our common cause in another venue. I must also say that it is deeply troubling to me to realize that we have come to a place in the history of this great state of ours where a person can be charged, tried, convicted and sentenced by the media with no due process and no independent verification of the allegations involved. But even more troubling – and on a very personal level as someone who has given 35 years of public service to Oregon – is that so many of my former allies in common cause have been willing to simply accept this judgment at its face value. It is something that is hard for me to comprehend – something we might expect in Washington, D.C. but surely not in Oregon. I do not know what it means for our shared future but I do know that it is seriously undermining civic engagement in this state and the quality of the public discourse that once made Oregon stand out from the pack. Nonetheless, I understand that I have become a liability to the very institutions and policies to which I have dedicated my career and, indeed, my entire adult life. As a former presiding officer I fully understand the reasons for which I have been asked to resign. I wish Speaker Kotek and President Courtney and their colleagues on both sides of the aisle success in this legislative session and beyond. And I hope that they are truly committed to carrying forward the spirit of bipartisanship and collaboration that has marked the last four years in Oregon. In 1968 I was inspired to commit my life to public service by the last campaign of Robert Kennedy. Forty-one years ago I started work as an emergency room doctor in Roseburg with a goal to make life better for those in my care. Ever since then, I have sought to keep that focus by trying to make things better for the people and the communities of this state that I love. I have had the extraordinary privilege of pursuing that work as a State Representative, State Senator, Senate President and as your Governor. Over those years, I have had the honor to be a part of some remarkable achievements. We responded to the worst recession and financial crisis since the Great Depression by rebuilding an Oregon economy that has added jobs and vitality in many regions of our state. And, unlike many other parts of our nation, we did it together with cooperation and respect for Oregon and for each other. We successfully defended Oregon’s spectacular natural heritage of clean water, clean air, forests, farmland and special places. We created the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds and nearly 90 watershed councils. We have also found ways to support our rural communities and to create jobs in our natural resources industries while enhancing the environment. When forces of intolerance sought to divide us we stood up for the principal that every Oregonian deserves respect and basic rights – including the right to choose and the right to marry the person we love. And I am proud that Oregon has not invoked the death penalty during my last four years on the watch. We have stood by our working men and women steadfastly supporting collective bargaining and the right to form a union. We have transformed our health care system, improving access and quality while lowering costs through our new Coordinated Care Organizations. Tonight over 95 percent of Oregonians will go to bed knowing that they have health insurance coverage. We did that together. In a three-day special session we reformed our public pension system, provided tax relief to small businesses and raised new revenue for mental health and for public education -- the foundation of our future. We have passionately pursued the goal of equity and opportunity – especially for those Oregonians who have been left behind: communities of color, English language learners and those in poverty, those in the rural parts of our state, the very young and the very old. We have laid the groundwork for eliminating the achievement gap and ensuring that over 90 percent of our children could be reading at level in 3rd grade within five years. And we are poised to reach agreements that will resolve the century-old water crisis in the Klamath Basin and expand irrigated agriculture in the Umatilla. As important as what we have accomplished – how we have accomplished it is perhaps even more important. We have had a great tradition of overcoming partisan differences in this state and doing what is right for Oregon. That tradition had faltered, but over the past four years we have rebuilt a functional political center, reaching across party lines to do difficult, important things by reducing polarization and building community to help right the ship and chart a better course for our future. I ran for a fourth term as your governor to continue that progress. But the questions that have been raised about my administration – specifically allegations against me concerning the work done by my fiancé Cylvia Hayes and the contracts she obtained during my last term – and the escalating media frenzy that has stemmed from this – has clearly reached the point of no return. I am confident that I have not broken any laws nor taken any actions that were dishonest or dishonorable in their intent or outcome. That is why I asked both the Ethics Commission and the Attorney General to take a full and comprehensive look at my actions – and I will continue to fully cooperate with those ongoing efforts. I am equally confident that once they have been concluded Oregonians will see that I have never put anything before my love for and commitment to Oregon and faithfully fulfilling the responsibilities of the public offices I have held But it is also clear that this process will take months. I have always had the deepest respect for the remarkable institution that is the Oregon Legislature; and for the office of the Governor. And I cannot in good conscience continue to be the element that undermines it. I have always tried to do the right thing and now the right thing to do is to step aside. One thing I hope people know about me is that I love this state and its people, its rivers, its mountains and its landscapes with every fiber of my being. It is because of that love that I tender my resignation as Governor, effective at 10 a.m. on February 18, 2015. Secretary of State Kate Brown will take the oath of office as Oregon’s Governor at that time. Oregon will be in good hands and I wish her well. Thank you for allowing me to serve you and our state. It has been the honor of my life. And I believe I can say that looking back over those years we have left it better than we found it. DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Feb. 13, 2015 @ 12:20 pm Updated Feb 13, 2015 at 12:23 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501